As of this writing, Save Jerseyans, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is engaged in one of the most dramatic practices unique to American-style democracy: the Senate filibuster.
Typically, U.S. senators “filibuster” a nomination or legislation by refusing to provide a majority of the 60 votes required for cloture. Paul is using the much rarer one-man approach made popularly famous by Mr. Smith Goes to Washington whereby one Senator continues to speak on the floor until he decides to stop (or simply cannot carry on). The Senator’s aim? Holding up the nomination of John Brennan for CIA director; he hopes this gesture will raise awareness of a controversial new Justice Department policy that many believe would permit drone strikes on American citizens without any due process whatsoever.
In this remarkable video, Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris) questions Assemblywoman Linda Stender on her bill, A3687, which would prohibit citizens on the federal terrorist watch list from receiving permits to purchase firearms in New Jersey
The bill passed the General Assembly 63-3, with 3 legislators not voting and 10 abstaining.
Click here to view the Assembly Roll Call on the bill.
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett announced this morning that Governor Chris Christie will be on hand to accept the party’s nomination for reelection when the Committee convenes at Colts Neck High School on Saturday, March 23.
In an email to County Committee members, Bennett said that he was hopeful that all members would be able to join him in nomination Christie, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and all incumbent legislative and county candidates.
“Rick” Ambrosia, center, with Vin Gopal, left and Ray Santiago, right, during a 2011 campaign event. Gopal and Santiago were candidates for legislature in LD 11 at the time. facebook photo.
Colts Neck Democrat Patrick “Rick” Ambrosia, Jr has been fined $250 by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission for failure to file primary election reports for his 2011 campaign to become a member of the Township’s governing body.
Ambrosia, who is best known as a frequent antagonist on center-right blogs, lost his 2011 bid in the predominantly Republican Colts Neck Township.
Colonial American Bank and the Monmouth Museum are exhibiting the work of Monmouth County’s emerging artists, Gary Dates, photographer and Jane Dell, mixed media painter, at the bank’s Middletown branch, 1405 Rt 35 (Middletown Plaza) starting tomorrow, March 7 through May.
The exhibition kicks off with an opening reception tomorrow from 5-7. The reception is free and open to the public.
The Bayshore Tea Party Group is preparing a primary slate to challenge 13th district legislators, Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon, and county office holders, Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholders Tom Arnone and Serena DiMaso, according to the group’s co-founder Barbara Gonzalez.
Gonzalez told MoreMonmouthMusings that the group has six candidates who are clearing their potential candidacies with their families and employers. She wouldn’t name any of the candidates but expects to make a formal announcement next week. If the slate declares, they will bypass the Monmouth GOP convention on March 23 and file to run in the June 4 Republican primary.
Gonzalez said that former Highlands Mayor Anna Little, who twice ran and won in Congressional primaries with the group’s backing, is not one of the candidates.
Manalapan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery told MoreMonmouthMusings that Andrew Lucas has chosen not to seek reelection to the Manalapan Township Committee, citing the demands of raising two young children and of building a new house on the farmland to which he just sold the development rights to the taxpayers for $1.152 million.
Lucas is completing his third three year term on the committee. He was a GOP nominee for freeholder in 2006.
The Manalapan GOP Committee is meeting Saturday morning March 9 to choose the replacement for Committeeman Don Holland who resigned on Monday and an additional candidate to run for Lucas’ seat in the fall. Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz is seeking reelection.
With three seats now open in November, the 5-0 Republican control of the Manalapan Commitee is now at stake in November.
Henry Vaccaro’s memoir, Johnny Cash Is A Friend of Mine is the story of how a fluke in investment in a Monmouth County based guitar manufacturer and a case of mistaken identity led to a 30 year friendship between two humble yet ambitious men that changed both of their lives.
In sharing his friendship with Johnny Cash, Vaccaro poignantly shares impactful life lessons with his readers.
Promoted as a biography of the iconic country singer that adds a personal touch, the story of the unlikely and profound friendship provides more insight into Viccaro, an ordinary man following his extraordinary dreams through the roller coaster of his life. A life for which, he says, Cash provides the sound track.
Filled with personal stories and never before published photographs, the book reads like Vaccaro is sitting and reciting the events of his friendship. That’s because the book was written exactly that way. Vaccaro’s son, Henry, Jr, taped his father telling the stories he heard so many times before and they hired a court reporter to transcribe the videos.
“You’re here because I want you here,” Cash tells Vaccaro during one of their many trips on JC Unit One, Cash’s tour bus,” You don’t know how many want to ride this bus with me, but Henry, I want you here.”
Through the tales of good times and bad, hilarious and sad, Vaccaro provides and insight into Cash’s character and the contributions they made to each others lives. “He brought out the best in me. He restored my faith in God above and he taught me what was really important in this life, your faith, your character, your family and friends and your compassion for your fellow man,” Vaccaro writes of his friend. This reader expects that Cash would say much the same about his friend.
Henry Vaccaro is a friend of mine. Buy his book here at a $10 discount. Or, go to the book signing on Saturday, March 9, at Silverball Museum Arcade, 1000 Ocean Ave Asbury Park Boardwalk, and buy a signed copy at a $15 discount.
The Daily Callersaid that The Washington Post is confusing one prostitute for another in an attempt to debunk the allegations that Senator Robert Menendez paid for sex in the Dominican Republic last Easter.
DC said that the escort whose affidavit that WaPo obtained is not one of the women that the conservative site interviewed via webcam last year. WaPo also is dealing with a different Dominican lawyer than the one who assisted DC with the story.
New Jersey’s main stream media was slow to report the Menendez prostitution allegations, waiting almost three months from the first report until the story graced their pages. They were extraordinarily quick in reporting the Washington Post story claiming the prostitute faked it…the story was posted on NJ.com less than 1/2 hour after WaPo reported it.
Let’s see how they handle Daily Caller defending the story.
Statement from The Daily Caller:
The Washington Post falsely reported a story yesterday claiming our source had recanted her statement, without contacting The Daily Caller for comment before posting. In reality, the prostitute in the Post’s story does not appear to be one of the women we interviewed in 2012. Details provided by the prostitute identified as Ms. Santana in the Post story conflict with the taped interviews The Daily Caller posted on November 1, including the mention of a person whose name would not come to light for months afterward. In addition, Melanio Figueroa, the attorney for TheDC’s sources, has said the Post’s allegations are fabricated and that the affidavit is false. The Post would not provide TheDC with a copy of the affidavit, despite our request. We stand by our reporting.
Manalaplan Committeeman Don Holland resigned effective yesterday, according to a report in the Manalapan Patch.
Patch cites a press release from Manalpan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery which stated Holland resigned for health reasons. Holland could not be reached this evening.
On December 6, 2012 Holland submitted and later retracted his resignation, according to documentation obtained by MMM and an interview with Holland.
Holland and Mayor Susan Cohen, the Monmouth GOP Vice Chair, are the two Manalapan Committee members who voted to approve the funds to purchase Andrew Lucas’ farm development rights last week.
Holland was first elected to the Township Committee as a Democrat. He switched parties and was reelected as a Republican in 2011. His term is scheduled to expire in December of 2014.
The Manalapan Republican Committee will submit 3 candidates to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The four remaining Committee members will chose one of those three candidates to serve until the November election. The voters will elect a candidate to complete the term.
The Manalpan Township Committee was 5-0 Republican prior to Holland’s resignation. With this vacancy, partisan control of the committee is at play, as the new Committee Member will have to defend the seat and run with incumbents Andrew Lucas and Jordan Maskowitz in November, assuming the incumbents both seek reelection.
Manalapan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery told MoreMonmouthMusings that Andrew Lucas has chosen not to seek reelection to the Manalapan Township Committee, citing the demands of raising two young children and of building a new house on the farmland to which he just sold the development rights to the taxpayers for $1.152 million.
Manalaplan Committeeman Don Holland resigned effective yesterday, according to a report in the